Problem Solving and Creativity Chapter 11 02 18 2015 Components of problem solving used when you want to reach a certain goal but the solution is not immediately obvious missing information and or obstacles block the path o initial state o goal state o Obstacles Algorithm Analogy approach problem requires you to go beyond the information you were given so you can reach a goal always produces a solution sometimes inefficient using a solution to a similar earlier problem to help in solving a new Factors Encouraging Appropriate Use of Analogies o overcoming the influence of context o trying several structurally similar problems before the target o training to sort problems into categories based on structural problem similarities exhaustive search try all possible answers heuristic general rule strategy in which you ignore some alternatives and explore only those alternatives that seem especially likely to produce a solution Anagram example S M LT N O S Y weigh the costs and benefits of using heuristics Mean ends analysis divide the problem into subproblems try to reduce the difference between the initial state and the goal state for each of the subproblems identify the ends you want and then figure out the means to reach them one of the most effective and flexible problem solving strategies seems impossible until sudden solution appears light bulb aha noninsight problem gradual solution begin with inappropriate assumptions that need to be discarded inappropriate use of top down processing unconventional use of appropriate tools Insight problem o You are standing outside a closed door On the other side of the door is a room that has three light bulbs in it The room is completely sealed off from the outside It has no windows and nothing can get in or out except through the door On the outside of the room there are three light switches that control each of the respective light bulbs on the other side of the door o Your assignment is to determine which light switch controls which light bulb You are allowed to enter the room only once and once you come out you must be able to state with 100 certainty which light switch controls which light bulb Creativity Individual Differences The Relationship Between Intrinsic Motivation and Creativity o Ruscio and coauthors 1998 students rate level of interest in writing art and problem solving later perform tasks in the three areas judges rate projects high intrinsic motivation related to judged creativity of Divergent thinking projects measure creativity in terms of the number of different responses made to a test item how many uses for a sock o moderate correlations between divergent production test scores and other judgments of creativity o number of solutions doesn t indicate novelty and or usefulness Intrinsic extrinsic motivation Extrinsic desire to work on a task to earn a promised reward o People often produce less creative projects if they are working on these projects for external reasons o Creativity can actually be enhanced if the extrinsic factors provide useful feedback Intrinsic motivation to work on a task for its own sake because you find it interesting exciting or personally challenging o People are more likely to be creative when they are working on a task that they truly enjoy Motivation to keep try to solve a problem despite frustration Problem solving is not just dependent on prior knowledge and Persistence predicts a learning after controlling for background intelligence knowledge Performance based test of persistence can be more valid than self report since they measure persistence in a problem Effort in the face of frustration Persistence Deductive Reasoning and Decision Making Chapter 12 02 18 2015 Decision making Dual process theory assessing and choosing among several alternatives Type 1 processing fast and automatic Type 2 processing slow and controlled o Many people only use type 1 processing in decision making Heuristic Belief bias effect General strategy used to make decisions Broad description role of background knowledge top down belief bias effect when people make judgments based on prior beliefs and general knowledge rather than on the rules of logic If a feather is thrown at a window the window will break A feather is thrown at the window Therefore the window will break People tend to make errors when the logic of a reasoning problem conflicts with their background knowledge Confirmation bias The Standard Wason Selection Task o confirmation bias People tend to try to confirm or support a hypothesis rather than try to disprove it In other words people are eager to affirm the antecedent but reluctant to deny the consequent by searching for counterexamples Base rate fallacy base rate how often an item occurs in the population base rate fallacy emphasize representativeness and underemphasize important information about base rates Conjunction fallacy conjunction rule The probability of the conjunction of two events cannot be larger than the probability of either of its constituent events conjunction fallacy when people judge the probability of the conjunction of two events to be greater than the probability of a constituent event students with different levels of statistical sophistication made same errors availability heuristic estimate frequency or probability in terms of how easy it is to think of relevant examples Availability heuristic Illusory correlation illusory correlation People believe that two variables are statistically related even though there is no real evidence for this relationship Welfare recipients and fraudulent claims We need to also know the number of welfare recipients without fraudulent claims Prospect theory prospect theory o When dealing with possible gains for example lives saved o When dealing with possible losses for example lives lost people tend to avoid risks people tend to seek risks Intelligence Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence Fluid Intelligence 02 18 2015 o The ability to think on the spot and reason solve novel problems The ability to perceive relationships The ability to gain new types of knowledge Declines over age Crystallized Intelligence o Factual knowledge about the world The skills already learned and practiced Continues to grow with age gathering facts Examples Arithmetic facts Knowledge of the meaning of words State capitals Gardner s approach to intelligence Howard Gardener proposed a theory of multiple intelligences in which he identified 9 distinct types of
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